2016 Mercedes-Benz E-Class revealed

Mercedes-Benz has officially unveiled the fifth-generation E-Class on the eve of the Detroit motor show, a week after the new luxury class sedan was prematurely revealed in a series of photographs posted to a German website.

The new E-class, which goes under the internal codename W213, has been thoroughly redesigned for the 2016 model year, taking on a far more dynamic form than its conservatively styled predecessor in a bid to see it appeal to a younger buyer audience than in the past.

The first official pictures of the new car reveal a clear family resemblance to the smaller C-Class and larger S-Class in its heavily structured exterior, which boasts a swooping roofline and heavily structured surfacing treatment. The visual similarity to its siblings is part of a boarder plan aimed at providing the Mercedes-Benz's sedan car line-up with more cohesive appearance than in recent decades, in which each individual model boasted a more unique visual identity.

As with its predecessor, the new E-Class comes with the option of two distinct grille treatments with customers able to choose between a traditional chrome grille with the German car maker's signature three pointed star perched atop the bonnet and more sporting blade grille with a larger three pointed star as its centrepiece. Among the headlamps options will be advanced new MultiBeam units boasting 84 individually operated LEDs featuring a range of sophisticated functions.

Dimensionally, the new model as grown slightly, putting on 43mm in overall length at 4923mm. The wheelbase has also grown by 65mm in standard form to 2939mm, endowing it with shorter overhangs. Further dimensions remain under wraps for now, though insiders suggest width has also increased in a move that provides the new E-class with greater levels of interior accommodation and luggage carrying capacity than the old model on sale in Australia since 2009.

The new E-class also sets a record for aerodynamic efficiency in its class with an overall drag co-efficient of 0.23. Among the developments helping it to achieve the wind cheating figure is a so-called AirPanel shutter system that uses adjustable louvers within the grille to smooth airflow around the front end and reducing wind buffeting within the engine bay at higher speeds.

Along with the new E-Class sedan revealed here for the first time, Mercedes-Benz is also preparing a successor to the E-class estate, although it isn't planned to be unveiled until the second half of 2016. In a departure from previous incarnations of the executive load hauler, it will be offered in two distinct variants – a traditional on-road model and a so-called All-Terrain version featuring raised ride height and a standard 4Matic four-wheel drive system, providing Mercedes-Benz with a rival to the likes of the Audi A6 All-Road.

Key among the engineering developments brought to Mercedes-Benz's traditional mid-range model is a new platform structure boasting a higher percentage of hot formed high strength steel and aluminium. Similar to the structures used by the C-class and S-class, it is claimed to bring weight savings of up to 100kg on a model for model basis. The front fenders, bonnet, boot lid are all made of sheet or cast aluminium.

The new E-Class will eventually come with the choice of up to eight engines, although only two four-cylinder units will be available at launch. They include a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine with 135kW and 300Nm of torque in the E200 and an all-new turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel with 143kW and 400Nm in the E220d.

The latter engine, which goes under the internal codename OM654 and is also planned to be introduced to other Mercedes-Benz models in 2016 , replaces the reliability plagued OM651, boasting a 193cm3 reduction in capacity, a considerably lighter aluminium block with Mercedes-Benz's patented Nanoslide cylinder liner coating, shorter dimensions owing to the adoption of reduced cylinder spacing at 90mm versus the 94mm of old, single stage turbocharging and variable turbine geometry. In the E220d, it is claimed to provide combined cycle consumption of 3.9L/100km and average CO2 emissions of just 102g/km.

Further petrol engines to follow include a more powerful version of the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder unit with 180kW in the E250, a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 with 245kW in the E400 4Matic and, towards the end of 2016, AMG's twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 boasting over 430kW in a rapid successor to the E63 AMG.

The diesel line-up will expand to include a base E200 running a detuned version of the new turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 148bhp.

Also planned to make its debut in the 2016 model year E-class, although not likely to be available in Australia until the latter half of the year, is Mercedes-Benz's all-new turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder diesel. Known internally as the OM656, it replaces the existing turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 oilburner, boasting a swept volume of 2986cm3 along with 190kW and 620Nm of torque in the E350d.

Catering to increased demand for zero emission compatibility, Mercedes-Benz will also introduce a new plug-in petrol-electric hybrid variant of the new E-class boasting a claimed electric range of up 30km.

Planned for delivery shortly after the start of new E-Class sales in Australia, it uses a further developed version of the C350e's driveline, with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and synchronous electric motor mounted within the forward section of the gearbox. Together, they provide the E350e with a combined system output of 205kW and a sturdy 600Nm of torque - sufficient, according to Mercedes-Benz's own figures, to provide the most economical of all the new E-Class models with combined cycle consumption of 2.1L/100km and average CO2 emissions of just 49g/km on the controversial European test cycle.

In a move aimed at providing the new E-Class with improved driveline efficiency across the range, all models at launch will come with Mercedes-Benz's 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic gearbox as standard. Alongside standard rear-wheel drive, selected models will also offer optional 4Matic four-wheel drive, although as with word on what models will be available with a manual gearbox final details are yet to be revealed.

The new E-Class is underpinned by the latest evolution of Mercedes-Benz's MRA (modular rear architecture) platform. Three suspension tunes with variable damping control are planned from the outset: a basic Comfort set-up, Comfort Avantgarde boasting a 15mm reduction in ride height and Sport, which also features a 15mm reduction in ride height.

Buyers will also be able to option selected new E-Class models with a new air suspension. The so-called AirBody control set-up uses Mercedes-Benz's latest multi-chamber air springs, with two chambers for each of the front wheels and three chambers on each of the rear wheels providing variable stiffness, damping, ride height and self levelling properties in four modes: comfort, eco, sport and sport plus.

Inside, the new E-Class receives a thoroughly redesigned interior. Both roomier and reflecting a higher quality than that of the current fourth-generation E-Class, the new interior combines design cues from both the smaller C-Class and larger S-Class. The highlight is a wide glass faced digital panel consisting of two 12.3 inch digital monitors. Depending on the specification they vary in resolution from 960 x 540 to 1920 x 720 pixels.

In a first for the E-Class, the display of primary instrument monitor behind the steering wheel can be altered in style, with the driver offered the choice between three different options: classic, sport and progressive. The secondary infotainment display positioned in the centre of the dashboard can also be tailored for personal preferences.

Most new E-Class models are set to receive the widescreen display technology. However, base version of the new Mercedes-Benz will make do with an analogue look instrument binnacle coupled with an 8.4 inch infotainment display.

A further innovation is the adoption of laser guided touch pads on each of the horizontal spokes of the steering wheel. In combination with a touch pad located between the front seats as well as a rotary dial and speech recognition system, they allow the driver to control the new E-Class's Command infotainment system via the simple swipe of your thumb. More conventional buttons on the steering are also used to control functions such as the volume control and telephone.

The centre console compartment can be ordered with a wireless charging mat for mobile phones and comes with a USB connector for Apple CarPlay and Google Android Auto interface compatibility. A further two USB connections and an SD card slot are sited in the armrest storage compartment.

Taking a lead from the S-Class, the new E-Class comes with optional LED ambient lighting for the infotainment screen surround, various recesses within the dashboard, door pockets, foot wells, overhead console and sound system tweeters. Going one better than its larger sibling, it offers the choice of 64 different hues, which are accessible through a display on the centre display.

In a bid to improve comfort, Mercedes-Benz has also developed a new range of seats for the E-Class. The shapely new seats vary in look depending on the equipment line chosen, providing both greater support and a wider range of cushioning than those used today.

Buyers of the new E-Class will be able to specify it with new trim options and colour combinations. Music fans are catered for with a Burmester 3D Surround Sound audio system boasting no less than 23 speakers and 1450 Watts of power.

The 2016 E-class is the first Mercedes-Benz model to receive Drive Pilot. A development of the German car maker's existing Distronic cruise control system, it enhances the optional autonomous driving function available on the outgoing model by being able to follow the vehicle in front at speeds up to 210km/h. Up to 130km/h, the new system is able to intervene with braking or steering functions to avoid collisions even if road markings are non-existent, as on road construction sites.

The new Mercedes-Benz also offers Speed Limit Pilot, which automatically adjusts the speed of the vehicle in relation to posted speed limits, as detected by a stereo camera mounted within the windscreen and logged in the navigation system. Another new system is Active Lane Change Assist. It is able to autonomously perform a lane change when the driver has activated the indicator for more than two seconds and sensors detect the adjacent lane is unoccupied.

The new E-Class also comes with optional Remote Parking Pilot, allowing it to be manoeuvred in and out of parking spaces and garages remotely using a smartphone app after the driver has step out of the car.

The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the brand's most advanced model yet. Photo: Supplied